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Jury finds defendant guilty on all counts in 2022 killing of Arvada police Officer Dillon Vakoff

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:12 GMT

By Stephanie Butzer, Denver7A man accused of killing an Arvada police officer in 2022 amid a violent family disturbance has been found guilty on all counts by a jury in Jefferson County.Sonny Thomas Almanza III was standing trial in connection with the deadly shooting of Arvada Officer Dillon Vakoff, 27, and non-fatal shooting of a woman in the early hours of Sept. 11, 2022.The jury reached a verdict on Thursday, one day after prosecutors and the defense presented their closing arguments. They found Almanza guilty on all counts, which included first-degree murder of a peace officer with extreme indifference, first-degree murder after deliberation, first-degree murder with extreme indifference, attempted murder, second-degree assault, possessing a weapon as a felon, possessing a large-capacity magazine during a crime and trespassing.Sentencing was set for Dec. 14 at 2:30 p.m.Read more at Denver7.Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.

Denver police shot armed man who refused to follow orders for four minutes, video shows

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:12 GMT

Denver police officers spent four minutes trying to reason with an armed man who refused to comply with orders before they shot him two times as he reached behind his back where a gun was wedged between his belt and pants, according to body-worn camera footage released Thursday.The 32-year-old man was shot twice by police and has since been released from the hospital, Cmdr. Matt Clark said at a Thursday news conference intended to update the public on the investigation. The man is charged with unlawfully carrying a firearm and carrying a prohibited high-capacity magazine.Police were patrolling the Cedar Run apartment complex at 888 South Oneida St. at 1:40 p.m. on Nov. 27 when they noticed the man moving boxes outside of his vehicle and saw he had a handgun between his belt and pants on the back side of his waistband, Clark said. Loud music can be heard blaring from a black truck in body-worn camera footage as officers ordered the man to put his hands on his head and get on his knee...

Former La Habra police chief sentenced to 11 years in prison for bringing weapons, tactical gear to Capitol riot

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:12 GMT

A Texas man who previously served as the chief of the La Habra Police Department has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Alan Hostetter, 59, who most recently lived in Poolville, Texas, was sentenced to 135 months in prison on Thursday following a previous conviction of four felonies earlier this year.Hostetter, who opted to represent himself in his trial, was convicted of charges including conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and entering a restricted building with a dangerous weapon.The United States Department of Justice said Hostetter brought tactical gear, pepper spray and hatchets to the Capitol when he and other supporters of former President Donald Trump attempted to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.Hostetter was retired from law enforcement and working as a yoga instructor when he planned and coordinated with other defendants to obstruct and interfere with the joint...

UNLV gunman had list of targets at the university and 150 rounds of ammunition, police say

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:12 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The 67-year-old gunman who killed three faculty members and wounded a fourth in a roughly 10-minute rampage at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, had a list of targets at the school and 150 additional rounds of ammunition, police said Thursday.Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill identified the suspect, who was killed in a shootout with police, as Anthony Polito, a longtime business professor who was living in nearby Henderson, Nevada. The sheriff said at a news conference that investigators were still looking into a motive but noted that Polito applied for several jobs at various colleges and universities in Nevada and was denied the job each time.McMahill said targets on Polito’s list also included faculty members at East Carolina University in North Carolina, where Polito was a professor at the university's business school from 2001 to 2017.“None of the individuals on the target list became a victim,” McMahill said, adding that police have contacted everyone on ...

Teen arrested after destructive pursuit in San Bernardino County

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:12 GMT

A teenager was arrested after a dangerous pursuit through Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday.The suspect was only identified as a 15-year-old boy by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.Deputies spotted the suspect driving without headlights near Baseline Road and Garnet Street around 1:13 a.m.When authorities attempted to pull the boy over, he refused to stop, leading deputies on a pursuit.During the chase, he drove through multiple stop signs and red lights before crossing a center median and driving on the wrong side of the road.He eventually drove over a curb and crashed into a pole on Ramona Avenue, deputies said. He hopped out of the car and began running on foot into a nearby neighborhood. Compton man killed while sitting inside his car; gunman at large A police helicopter that was on the scene led authorities in the direction where the suspect ran. He jumped a fence into a backyard and was eventually caught by deputies.The teen was arrested and booked at the San Berna...

49ers QB Purdy addresses MVP buzz and other media narratives

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:12 GMT

SANTA CLARA – Brock Purdy genuinely feels “nothing’s changed” now that he’s emerged as the NFL MVP favorite. He’s right on at least two accounts.One, the 49ers (9-3) keep winning, as they take a four-game win streak into Sunday’s home game against the Seattle Seahawks (6-6).Two, Purdy is not taking the bait as some “reporters” fish for an incendiary reaction to other “reporters” who’ve made disparaging remarks about him.Thursday brought this loaded question: Do think representing the organization well right now standing at the podium wearing a backwards hat?“I guess that’s who I am, and I think so,” Purdy responded unapologetically.That “backwards hat” take originated from Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd last week, similar to a decade ago when an online columnist criticized Colin Kaepernick’s tatoos didn’t aptly represent the “CEO” qualities required to be the 49ers’ quarterback.“Some guys have told me in the locker room (about Cowherd’s take), but I don’t buy into that kind of stuff,” Pu...

Letters: PG&E rate hike | Careful development | GOP dysfunction

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:12 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.CPUC should hit brakeson PG&E rate hikeRe: “Regulators clear way for higher bills from PG&E” (Page A1, Nov. 17).The California Public Utilities Commission members should put on hold the approved rate hike for PG&E to bury their power lines until environmental impact studies are completed to ensure that digging more than 1,200 miles of trenches does not destroy fragile ecological areas or cause endangered species to go extinct.More comprehensively trained managers and better electronic controls on the electrical system are less costly ways to correct the PG&E mismanagement that allowed devastating fires. The approved “jump of 12.8%” is totally out of control and will not be the only additional cost to consumers. Every consumer product that depends on electricity to manufacture will cost more.The future in which all new homes and buildings are coated with solar energ...

Senator’s son charged in crash that killed North Dakota deputy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:12 GMT

By Jack Dura and Jim Salter | Associated PressBISMARCK, N.D. — The 42-year-old son of U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer was charged Thursday with manslaughter and fleeing an officer after a police pursuit ended in a crash that killed a North Dakota sheriff’s deputy who had taken cover behind his squad car after laying a tire deflation device in the road, according to court documents.Ian Cramer, of Bismarck, was traveling over 100 mph and already had two flat tires when he slammed head-on into Deputy Paul Martin’s squad car on Wednesday, pushing it “directly into Martin’s person and launching him for about 100 feet,” according to charging documents. Martin, 53, was killed in the crash.Ian Cramer is scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday on multiple felony counts including manslaughter, fleeing a police officer and reckless endangerment. Court records did not list an attorney for him, and Sen. Kevin Cramer declined an interview after charges were filed ...

Uzi, rocket launcher turned in at San Jose gun buyback event

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:12 GMT

(KRON) -- An Uzi machine gun, a rocket-launcher, and assault rifles were among weapons voluntarily handed in by local residents in exchange for cash at a gun buyback event last weekend.More than 400 firearms were turned in at the buyback event held on the east side of San Jose. It was hosted by Santa Clara County, the Sheriff, District Attorney, San Jose Police Department, and Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services. Residents who turned in weapons received a total of $40,000 cash. Firearms voluntarily turned in by residents included: 70 replica/airsoft/bb-style guns133 handguns 275 rifles1 rocket-launcher1 Uzi machine gun20 ghost-gunsMore than a dozen assault-style weapons"Residents of the 408 Area Code stepped up to voluntarily turn in 408 firearms at the San Jose Gun Buyback at Reid-Hillview Airport on December 2, and that has us feeling extra grateful this holiday season," Santa Clara County Supervisor Otto Lee said. "Since last May, we have collected more than 1,100 guns ...

USC’s Bronny James returns to full-contact practice for 1st time since cardiac arrest

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:12 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bronny James returned to full-contact basketball practice on Thursday for the first time since suffering cardiac arrest in July, paving the way for the son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James to make his college debut with Southern California.“He’s excited,” USC coach Andy Enfield said after practice.James did not speak with reporters. Last week, the 19-year-old was cleared by his doctors, and the Trojans had been waiting for their medical staff to give James the go-ahead to join them for full-contact practice.The Trojans (5-3) host Long Beach State on Sunday.“It’ll be a determination how he feels personally and our doctors and trainers and our strength coach, but all indication is he feels great and he looks good,” Enfield said.James would come off the bench and be on a minutes restriction in his debut, Enfield said.“We’re expecting him to help us right away because he’s a very good player,” Enfield said, “but at the same time we have the expectati...